Least of the Commandments
by Mike James
In the Gospel of Matthew 5:19 we read this interesting verse: Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. The question I’d like to answer here is what is meant by “these least commandments.”
By answering this question, I believe this will also be a further proof of the opinion of this church and many other Church of God groups that God’s law is still in force, and we should still be obeying it—of course, with the understanding the New Testament provides in how to keep that Old Testament law.
Some biblical scholars argue that the “least commandments” here might be Jesus’ own instruction. But most scholars would agree with us that the “least commandments” are some aspects of the Old Testament law.
Scholar Alexander Sand tells us that Matthew (Matthew 5:17-19) uses the Greek word nomos for law and entole for commandments. Nomos is the same as Torah, the Hebrew word referring to the entire Mosaic law. Entole translates into the Hebrew miswah or misva which means individual laws like the Ten Commandments as in Matthew 15:3 and Matthew 19:17, or one of the other Mosaic laws like those mentioned in Matthew 22:36-40.
In Matthew 22:36-40 we read the following: Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Please note that “loving thy neighbor as thyself” (Leviticus 19:18) is one of the many other laws, not one of the ten commandments, as is “loving the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Deuteronomy 6:5). If these two laws are at the top of the list of God’s laws in the Old Testament, then obviously there must be some kind of ranking system God is using for the myriad other laws.
The fact these two laws are also part of the Old Testament law is another fact making it clear Christ was not creating some new law under the New Covenant. But if there are greater commands, what are the lesser commands. Note that the greater commands pertain to our relationship with God and man. Most of the commands also relate to those two categories. But there are other laws.
According to another scholar, named T.W. Manson, the phrase “one of the least of these commandments” is an Aramaic idiom which could be translated as, “one of the least commandments.” In other words “light commandments” as contrasted with “weighty commandments.”
For example, look at Matthew 23:23. Note that it reads, Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Here we have one law—tithing—contrasted with justice, mercy, and faith which underly the entire Torah system. We don’t have a complete parallel usage here, but this lends credence to the idea there are “lesser laws” and “weightier laws” within the Torah. Logic would tell us based on this that the phrase “lesser commandments” could mean a specific number of laws.
The idea of light and weighty laws or precepts is a common idea in rabbinic literature. One of the pupils of the wise (not a rabbi) named Simeon B. Azzai said, “Run to the light as well as to the weighty commandment.” This learned man lived in the early half of the second century A.D., not far removed from the time of Jesus.
Judah ha-Nassi, a second century A.D. rabbi, stated, “Be as heedful of a light commandment as of a weighty one, for thou knowest not the recompense of reward of each commandment.”
Now what did these Jewish teachers then consider to be light commandments? Well one of the primary examples of a light commandment is found in Deuteronomy 22:6-7. Now why would this law about how to treat a bird’s nest be considered a lesser commandment? Because it deals with animal life. Of course, a law like honoring your mother and father would be weightier because it is dealing with human life. Remember God gave Adam dominion over the animal world from the beginning (Genesis 1:26). Obviously, we should treat animals humanly, but laws involving people would be of a higher rank due to the purpose of human life vs. animal life in the grand scheme of God’s plan.
The false concept that Jesus brought a new law in the new covenant to love God and to love man is silly. Those two laws were part of the Old Testament law given to Moses. Within that law there were distinctions that are not fully revealed by Scripture, but evidence is in Scripture that there were laws of lesser rank and weightier rank. What is most important is to continue to try to observe God’s law to the best of our ability just as Jesus Christ did.
In the next International News, I will expand just a bit on this blog.
Sources: “The Least of the Commandments”: Deuteronomy 22:6-7 in Rabbinic Judaism and Early Christianity, by Robert M. Johnston, Andrews University Seminary Studies, Autumn 1982, Volume 20, No. 3, 205-215.
“Judah ha-Nasi,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judah_ha-Nasi.
“Simeon ben Azzai,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simeon_ben_Azzai